142 IOWA' DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



sideration they could be widely discussed at the various institutes and 

 thus get an expression from those interested. For instance, the change 

 in our school laws should be thoroughly discussed and threshed out at 

 the institutes during the coming winter. Then some time near the close, 

 or at the close of the institute season, a general state meeting for insti- 

 tute workers should be held where the workers could exchange ideas. If 

 these suggestions were incorporated in a law and placed upon our statute 

 books it would be a radical change from the present system, but would 

 give a better organization and system, which would, in my opinion, 

 greatly add to the interest now taken in our farmers' institutes. 



COUNTY AND DISTEICT FAIBS. 



The county and district fairs have had a very successful season, as 

 will be shown by their condensed financial statement to be published in 

 the Iowa Year Book of Agriculture. While the usual amount of rainy 

 weather was encountered, reducing the attendance and receipts of quite 

 a number, taken in the aggregate their reports show a very healthy 

 growth. This is specially noticeable in their exhibits, which, from the 

 amounts paid out for premiums, was evidently the best and largest ever as 

 sembled at their fairs. I believe the meeting of the Iowa State Fair Man- 

 agers held last December and the excellent addresses delivered there was 

 a stimulus to every fair manager present. The report of the fairs held 

 during the past season is further proof against the argument that peo- 

 ple are losing their interest in the county and district 'fairs. On the 

 other hand, they show that more interest is now being taken in them 

 than ever before. The idea that the state fair will eventually kill the 

 county and district fairs is an illusion, as is proved by the fact that some 

 of the most successful fairs in Iowa are but a short distance from Des 

 Moines. The county and district fairs are a big help to the state fair, 

 and we believe the state fair is equally helpful to them in many ways. 

 The last general assembly amended the law with reference to granting 

 state aid to the fairs of Iowa, increasing the possible amount to be paid 

 any association to three hundred dollars. As the law now stands forty 

 per cent is allowed of the amount of premiums paid up to five hundred 

 dollars and ten per cent of amounts paid over five hundred and up tu 

 fifteen hundred dollars. The full three hundred dollars was paid to but 

 three fairs, viz: Marshall county, North Iowa District fair in Cerro 

 Gordo county, and the Union District fair in Muscatine county. Cass 

 county fell but one dollar short of receiving the full amount. Nineteen 

 thousand and sixty dollars was paid in state aid to the eighty-eight fairs 

 reporting, making an average of about two hundred and sixteen dollars 

 per county. Sixty-seven of the eighty-eight counties received over two 

 hundred dollars each. The total amount paid out by the state for tne 

 fairs of 1909 exceeded the amount paid in 190S by about eighteen hun- 

 dred dollars. The reports filed will show an average increase of six 

 per cent in amounts paid out for prizes. The valuation of all fair 

 grounds property shows an increase of twelve per cent over 1908, the 

 total valuation being placed at about $670,000.00, or an average valuation 

 of about $7,600.00. The indebtedness reported is about seventeen per 



